Have you lost your digital pen? Would you like to draw more accurately on your tablet or are unable to use the touch screen when wearing gloves? There is no need to waste money on a new pen when you can easily make one using items found around the house.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Getting to know the Touch Screens
Step 1. Find out what kind of touch screen your device has
There are various types of screens, and your homemade digital pen may not work with all of them.
- IPhones, iPads, Android devices and Kindles, as well as many other smartphones and tablets, have capacitive screens, which require an electrical conductor (like the human body) to record where contact occurs.
- The Nintendo DS, 3DS, Nook, some other phones and e-readers have resistive or infrared screens, requiring only pressure to register contact. In this case you can use anything to make a makeshift pen, just be careful not to scratch the screen.
Step 2. Test the screen if you are unsure
Touch it with the tip of a pen cap. If the device responds, it has a resistive or infrared touch screen. If nothing happens, the screen is capacitive.
Part 2 of 4: Making a Capacitive Pen with a Sponge (Capacitive Screen)
Step 1. Get the necessary materials
Find a clean dish sponge (no rough side) and a ballpoint pen with a detachable tip.
- The best choice is an inexpensive plastic pen, as long as you are able to easily remove the plastic tip and ink.
- With a transparent pen it will be easier to see what you are doing.
Step 2. Cut a piece of sponge to the size of the pen
You can approximate this measurement by holding the pen against the sponge and marking the circumference with a marker or by eye.
Step 3. If the sponge has an abrasive side for scuffing dishes (such as traditional yellow and green ones), cut or tear it off
All abrasive surfaces can scratch and damage the screen. Use only the spongy part.
Step 4. Wash and dry the sponge
Some have detergent built in, so be sure to rinse them in lukewarm water. Squeeze out all the water and let the sponge dry.
Step 5. Remove the plastic tip and the inside of the pen:
ball tip, ink tank, and spring if present. Only the empty pen container should remain.
You should be able to pull the tip out with your hands. If you can't, try using tweezers
Step 6. Insert the sponge into the pen
Squeeze it to make it smaller and push it into the pen holder.
Step 7. Leave about 0.3-0.5 cm of the sponge out of the pen
Use your fingers to break and separate the fibers of the material.
Step 8. Hold the pen close to the tip to make it work
With your fingers you have to touch the part of the pen in contact with the sponge. If you hold the empty part, the electromagnetic current will not pass through the sponge and the screen will not register the touch.
Part 3 of 4: Making a Capacitive Pen with Foil (Capacitive Screen)
Step 1. Get everything you need
You will need 12 inches of aluminum foil, masking tape, and a blunt pencil. You may also need a sharp knife to blunt the pencil.
If you don't have a pencil, you can use a pen, Chinese wand, stick, or anything in the shape of a pen. However, pencils and wooden objects are more suitable, because you can sharpen the tip
Step 2. Use a sharp knife to tip the pencil at a slight, flat angle
Don't tip the pencil as if you were going to use it to write. However, the tip should be about four millimeters in area, about the size of the eraser found on some pencils or your fingertips. Many capacitive screens are unable to register the contacts of smaller surfaces.
- The pen will work even without this step, but you should keep it straight and perpendicular to the screen. Thanks to this advice, however, it will be more comfortable to use.
- Always be careful when handling a knife; remember to never cut towards you and do not pull the knife in your direction.
Step 3. Wrap the entire pencil with at least two layers of aluminum foil
Carefully fold it over the tip.
If you are using a pen, do not remove the cap when you cover it
Step 4. Spread the foil over the tip of the pencil
It should be smooth and flat in that spot, with no wrinkles or bumps.
If the tip is not flat, the pen may not work
Step 5. Wrap a piece of masking tape around the center of the pencil
This will secure the foil.
Step 6. Line the tip of the pen with tape
This way you won't scratch the screen with the foil.
Step 7. Test the pen
If that doesn't work, try making the tip even flatter. Remember that it should be at least the size of an eraser, otherwise the touch screen will not recognize it.
Part 4 of 4: Making a Pen with a Wooden Stick (Resistive or Infrared Screen)
Step 1. Get the necessary materials
You will need a wooden Chinese wand, sandpaper, and something to sharpen the wood. The easiest tool to use is a hand pencil sharpener, but you can also use a sharp knife.
Do not use an electric pencil sharpener, as it may break
Step 2. Sharpen the tip (the narrowest part that comes into contact with the food) of the wand with the sharpener
You don't have to get a thin tip like a regular pencil, but rather leave a flatter surface.
Step 3. Use sandpaper to make the tip smoother
If the end of the wand is too sharp, it can damage the screen (or hurt you). Smooth it out with sandpaper. You shouldn't feel pain when you press it against your skin.
Also smooth out any rough sides of the wand, so you don't get any splinters
Step 4. Decorate the pen with masking tape or paint
With a couple of layers of tape the wand will be more comfortable to hold.
